Without Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes would be without friend and historian. More importantly, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective would be much less of a human in his many adventures, were it not for Watson at his side. By creating Watson, Doyle gave Holmes more depth as a character. However brilliant and self-absorbed Holmes may be, he interacts with Watson in a way that adds charm and humor to the Holmes stories. There are several points in the stories where emotion on the sides of both men come through. Notably, in "The Adventure of the Empty House," when Holmes reappears after many years after being thought dead, the reunion between the two men can bring tears to the devoted Holmes reader. On a different level, that of how to solve writing a mystery story, Watson acts as Holmes' sounding board. Further, by having Holmes explain things to Watson and then have Watson react, Doyle has made it possible for the reader to "listen in" to their thought processes. Still, for many readers, the friendship between Holmes and Watson make Holmes more human and less than a walking computer devoted only to solving the case.